Hush.

Epilogue

The day of Mr. Matthews' funeral was a beautiful one. Just like he would have wanted.

The sun shone from a cloudless sky, a soft breeze drifted through, and everybody he cared about the most was gathered to celebrate his life.

Lilia kept herself together surprisingly well, staying close to Alec's side for that wordless support. The hardest part was when she had to give the speech, the open casket right below her. Tears were shed, but I didn't think there was a dry eye in the audience. Except for maybe Ezra, but he wasn't exactly close to the man. In fact, I wasn't even sure the two had ever met.

The burial went swimmingly. His casket was lowered, and we all took turns throwing a handful of dirt overtop it. After that was the reception, and things became slightly more light-hearted.

I still had to use crutches, but the cast was gone and replaced with a heavy-duty brace. I wouldn't be walking around normally for at least a good month, and that was if everything went absolutely perfect. Which, we all knew, never happened. But secretly, I was okay with that. Because I got twenty-four-seven Ezra time, and it was better than any medicine out there.

I hobbled along the stage for graduation, accepting my diploma along with Ezra and everybody else.

All those scholarships Lilia convinced me to enter came back. I was accepted on nearly a full-ride to a school upstate with a fantastic journalism program.

Ezra was going to follow me wherever I went, opting to take a year of online classes so he could pursue a boxing career. Though I wasn't always a huge fan of his pugilistic endeavors, I supported him one hundred percent. Because he was good, and he loved it.

Every now and then, if he was out late or I slept in, I still found a paper crane waiting on my pillow when I woke up.

I stood with Ezra behind the punch table, watching everybody else interact. Lily herself was about a month along with a baby, and it was hilarious bringing that fact up around Alec. He would pale and excuse himself from the conversation every time. But some people needed more adjusting to the idea of parenthood, I supposed. Even so, I knew they would be good.

Sometimes, I found myself thinking about that. Of having children, and starting a family, and being everything my parents weren't.

I didn't know if Ezra would be there to help, or if that place held someone else's name, or if in five years I would be single and not wanting a family. I didn't know, and the beauty of it all was that I didn't have to know. And I didn't have to have a reluctant father present with me, or a different childhood, or different circumstances growing up. What mattered was the here and now, and the here and now was a celebration of a wonderful man's full life, with the guy I loved by my side.

I didn't need any more than that.

The circle of people around a picture of Mr. Matthews raised their glasses. Lilia had told me all their names: Jemma Hall, Jacob Hall, Emmalyn Richardson, Rhys Richardson, Elsie Harding, Samuel Harding, Cole Winters, Kelly Briner, Drake Weston, Lilia herself, and Alec. And then of course, Ezra and me. She told me they were all important aspects of her grandfather's life, and that he meant as much to them as he did to me.

I could respect that.

"Annie."

I lifted my gaze to Ezra, who held up a glass of punch. "Shall we toast?"

Smiling, I retrieved my own. "We shall."

"To Mr. Matthews," Ezra stated.

We clinked our glasses. "To the future," I added.

My boyfriend nodded as we clinked a second time. "I can drink to that."

"Me, too."

And we tossed back a mouthful of the fruity punch, drinking for the mystery of tomorrow. Neither of us had any idea what the future would bring.

But . . . I figured that was kind of the best part about it.